Car-coupling.



PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1903.

2 sums-sum 1..-

H. KELLEY. GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED IAB. 27, 1903.

H0 MODEL.

yVJi/VTOR 3 Afforney PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1903.

H. KELLEY.

GAR COUPLING..

WIT/V5.8; 7 [/VVE/VTOR BY 6 Add/M. W M Azzamey UNITED STATES Patented September 8, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY KELLEY, OF ANACONDA, MONTANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK M. COLVIN, OF ANACONDA, MONTANA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,203, dated September 8, 1903.

Application filed March 27, 1903. Serial No. 149,910. (No model.)

To all whom it 77mg concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY KELLEY, of Anaconda, in the county of Deer Lodge and State of Montana, have invented certain. new and useful Improvements in Car-(.ouplers; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is an improved car-coupling of the automatic interlocking-jaw type; and its object is to produce a coupler which will be certain in action and which will not uncouple if by accident one coupler-head or jaw should be broken, it being, in fact, a double interlocking coupling The invention therefore consists in the novel construction of the coupling, as hereinafter explained and claimed,an d the accompanying drawings illustrate the invention clearly.

In said drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of one of the coupler-heads with the swinging jaw open. Fig. 2 is a sectional top plan view of a complete coupling, showing the opposite heads coupled. Fig. 8 is a detail front view of a coupling-head as applied to a car, the swinging jaw being open and locking-pin raised. Fig. at is a sectional top plan view of a slight modification. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through Fig. at. Fig. 6 is a transverse section on line 6 6, Fig. 4.; and Fig. 7 is a detail.

The complete coupling is composed of two similar opposite cou pling-heads, each of which is constructed alike, so that a description of one will explain both. Each comprises a body portion A, which is attached to the shank B of the draw-bar of a car. This body portion has a recess in its front and one side, in which is pivoted the shank c of a swinging lockingjaw C, the body of which is provided with parallelhorizontal upper and lower inwardlycurved catch portions or flanges C, adapted to embrace the locking-head of an opposed coupling, as hereinafter explained. The body is also formed or provided with a forwardlyextending inwardly-curving locking-arm D, lying beside jaw O and provided on its extremity with a T-shaped locking-head,formed by upper and lower vertical projections E E on the extremity of the arm, as shown in the posed open locking-jaws O O.

drawings. This locking-head is adapted to engage with the catch portions 0 of the lockingjaw on an opposed coupling-head, as indicated in the drawings. The pivot-pins c of the jaws 0 maybe of any suitable construction, and their shanks 0 may be formed with apertures c for the engagement of the locking-pins F, which are guided in suitable aper turcs or holes in the upper and lower parts of the body A, as indicated in the drawings. The locking-pins F may be constructed and operated much like these pins on the ordinary autonlatic couplings now in use. In Fig. 3 the pin F is connected by chain f to an arm g on a transverse shaft G, provided with cranks at its ends, by which it can be rocked to raise or lower the pin, and thus lock or unlock the jaw. In Figs. Ate 7 the locking-pin is shown as square in cross-section and provided with an offset lug F on its lower end, by which its entire withdrawal from the coupler-head is prevented, while it can be raised sufiiciently to free the jaw. The projections E are preferably rounded on their outermost faces, where they are engaged by catch portions 0, and they may be circular in crosssection, as in Fig. 4, or flattened on their inner meeting faces, as shown in Fig. 2. The jaws C may be normally held open when uncoupled by means of springs or other known devices. Coiled sprin gs H are shown in drawings for this purpose, interposed between the shanks and rear portion of body and retained insuitable recesses therein, as indicated; but I do not restrict myself to any particular ar rangement or construction of jaw-opening devices, the object of which is merely to keep the jaws in position to automatically recouple if uncoupled.

The operation is as follows: When two cars equipped with my couplings are run together, the locking-arms on opposed couplings pass each other and respectively engage the op- The heads E E striking the shanks of the open jaws push them inward, thereby causing the catch portions 0 of the jaws to close upon and around the projections of the heads and interlock therewith, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 4: of the drawings, and the pins F, dropping into the holes 0 in the shanks 0, look the jaws in coupled position. A double lock is made between the two jaws and the two opposed locking-heads, and so long as either jaw remains locked the cars cannot uncouple or separate. Both jaws must be released before the cars can be uncoupled. Thus the device provides a double interlocking safety-coupling, and should one pin or one jaw or one lockinghead break the coupling will still hold fast, and should one draw-bar pull out it will be upheld, as the upper catch portions 0 overlap the arms D in rear of the locking-heads. In the drawings the body A is shown as pivotally connected to or separable from the stem B of the draw-bar; but obviously the bodies can be made integral therewith, if desired. I do not restrict myself to the specific dimensions or formation of parts shown on the drawings, as their lines and sizes can be altered as required for practical use, while preserving and utilizing the essential features of the invention, nor do Irestrict myself to the specific jaw-locking devices shown herein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and novel, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

1. A coupling member for automatic railway-couplings, comprising a body having a forwardly extending inwardly curved arm having a vertical locking-head on its forward extremity, a swinging locking-jaw pivoted to the body at one side of the arm and movable toward or from the arm, said jaw having a locking-shank, adapted to enter the mouth of the body and be locked therein, and also provided with upper and lower locking-flanges adapted to embrace the locking-arm and engage the locking-head on an opposed coupling while its companion locking-head engages the jaw of said opposed coupling.

2. In a car-coupling, a coupling-head having a forwardly-projecting rigid locking-arm provided with upper and lower projections on its outer extremity forming a locking-head, adapted to engage the locking-jaw of an opposed similar coupling-head, and a lockingjaw pivoted to the head beside said arm and swinging in the plane thereof, said jaw having parallel horizontal catch-flanges adapted to embrace the locking-arm on an opposed coupling-head and engage the projections thereon.

3. A car-coupling comprising similar opposite coupling members each provided with a forwardly exten ding inwardly curved rigid arm provided with upper and lower protuberances on its ends forming a vertical locking head, and a swinging jaw pivoted beside the arm having a locking-shank and a forwardlyextending portion provided with upper and lower parallel inwardly curving catch flanges, the locking-jaw of one coupling being adapted to embrace the locking-arm and engage the locking-head of the opposed coupling, means for locking said jaws when coupled, and means for throwing them into coupling position when uncoupled.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY KELLEY.

In presence of- H. CAMPBELL FREEMAN, JAMEs PRYOR. 

